Shape Effect on Particle-Lipid Bilayer Membrane Association, Cellular Uptake, and Cytotoxicity.

Although computer simulation and cell culture experiments have shown that elongated spherical particles can be taken up into cells more efficiently than spherical particles, experimental investigation on effects of these different shapes over the particle–membrane association has never been reported. Therefore, whether the higher cellular uptake of an elongated spherical particles is a result of a better particle–membrane association as suggested by some calculation works or a consequence of its influence on other cellular trans-membrane components involved in particle translocation process, cannot be concluded. Here, we study the effect of particle shape on the particle–membrane interaction by monitoring the association between particles of various shapes and lipid bilayer membrane of artificial cell-sized liposomes. Among the three shaped lanthanide-doped NaYF4 particles, all with high shape purity and uniformity, similar crystal phase, and surface chemistry, the elongated spherical particle shows the h...